ESP Guitars and Bass Guitars

ESP Company, Limited, located in North Hollywood, California, is a manufacturer of electric guitars and basses.
In 1975, Hisatake Shibuya opened a shop called Electric Sound Products (ESP) in Tokyo. It provided custom replacement parts for
guitars. In 1976, ESP gained a reputation as a provider of high-quality replacement parts. At this time, ESP also began crafting
guitars under the ESP and Navigator brand in the Japanese market.

ESP replacement parts were first introduced into the US in 1983. ESP began crafting custom instruments for local New York artists
between 1984 and 1985. Among these artists were Page Hamilton (Helmet), Vernon Reid (Living Colour), Vinnie Vincent & Bruce Kulick
(KISS), and Ronnie Wood (The Rolling Stones). At this time, ESP also introduced the 400 Series as the first production line
distributed in the US.

During this same period of time, ESP began making the bodies and necks for Kramer Guitars. Other manufacturers using ESP as an OEM
were Robin Guitars, Schecter Guitar Research and DiMarzio. Many traits of the Kramer line are still visible including neck
construction and body bevels. ESP tooled up for Tom Anderson's shaved bolt on neck heel on the Schecter bodies, and has since become
a feature of their house brand.

In 1986, guitarist George Lynch discovered ESP while on tour in Tokyo. Lynch walked into an ESP shop looking for a replacement neck
and learned that ESP also built custom guitars. As a result, his famous ESP Kamikaze was made. ESP soon introduced the M1 Standard,
MI Custom, Horizon Custom, and the Surveyor bass into the market. At this time, ESP released George Lynch's Kamikaze as its first
signature model. ESP based its headquarters in a loft in downtown
New York City on 19th Street. In 1989, the headquarters were moved to 48th Street near the famous music stores.

Between 1990 and 1992, ESP expanded its Signature Series as well as its standard product line. The US replacement parts business
was discontinued in order to switch focus solely on the guitar and bass line as well as the custom shop. There are about 41
signature series guitars.

In 1993, ESP moved its headquarters again but this time it was relocated to Los Angeles. There, ESP opened an office on Sunset Blvd.
in Hollywood. In 1996, LTD was created to produce ESP's high-quality products in a more affordable line of production. Soon after
the introduction of the Korean and Indonesian-made LTD lines, ESP discontinued selling the majority of its Japanese-made flagship
instruments in the United States due to the prices involved in exporting to the Americas. The lone exception was ESP's artist
signature lines, which remained ESP (rather than LTD) models. In the early 2000's, ESP resumed shipping the standard
Japanese-manufactured lines to the United States (where they are very popular among metal and hard rock players), albeit at greatly
increased prices compared to the early 90's.

ESP found fame by providing guitars for guitarists who went on to become leading exponents of thrash metal music in the 1980s,
along with Jackson Guitars, including Metallica, Slayer and Megadeth. As a result of these endorsements, ESP has gone to become
one of the most popular suppliers of guitars for heavy metal music.